Research is constantly on to obtain antifungal and antibacterial compounds from natural sources such as microorganisms. Several naturally occurring microorganisms form an excellent source of pharmaceutically acceptable compounds which have the advantage of being inexpensive since the expense of technology to manufacture synthetic compounds is avoided.
2-methylheptylisonicotinate is an important anti-fungal and antibacterial antibiotic which exhibits marked inhibition of bacterial strains such as, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella sp., Klebsiella sp., E. coli and Proteus mirabilis and antifungal activity against pathogenic test organisms, such as Fusarium moniliforme, F. semitechtum, F. oxysporum, F. solani and Rhizoctonia solani. 
2-methylheptylisonicotinate of the formula 1 is also used as an intermediate for the highly economical commercial production of isoniazid or isonicotinic acid hydrazide. Isoniazid or isonicotinic acid hydrazide of the formula 2 is an established drug for the treatment of Tuberculosis (Martindale: The Extra-pharmacopeia, ed. J. E. F. Reynolds, 30th edition, The Pharmaceutical Press, London, U.K., 1993, pp174). 
Nearly 500,000 patients die of Tuberculosis in India every year and 5.3 million new cases of Tuberculosis are reported every year in the world (Kalia A, 1999, A Deadly Bacilli, A report, 1999, The Statesman, Calcutta, 7th Apr., pp7).
It is therefore imperative to locate and identify new sources for anti-tubercular drugs.